Senegal To Host 2022 Youth Olympic Games – IOC

Buenos Aires, Argentina : The International Olympic Committee (IOC) members on Monday approved Dakar, Senegal as the host city for the 2022 Summer Youth Olympic Games which will make Senegal the first African country to host an Olympic event.

The 133rd IOC Session, meeting in Buenos Aires on Monday and Tuesday, backed the IOC executive board, which last month proposed the West African country as host, ahead of fellow candidates Botswana, Nigeria and Tunisia.

The Games will be centred on the capital Dakar.

“Dakar was the best value proposition for 2022. Senegal is one of the countries in the continent with more stable policies and presented the most ambitious and firm project,” Ugur Erdener, head of the Evaluation Commission, told delegates.

The 2018 Youth Games are currently taking place in the Argentinian capital to coincide with the IOC Session.

The Session on Wednesday is also expected to confirm three candidates for the 2026 Winter Games: Calgary, Canada, a combined Italian bid of Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, and Stockholm. The executive board earlier dropped Erzurum in Turkey.

The IOC is due to decide on the host city in September 2019.

The IOC Session will additionally hear updates on preparations for the next Olympic Games – 2020 in Tokyo, the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, and Paris 2024 – and elect nine new members.

At the opening of the Session, IOC president Thomas Bach said the Olympic movement hoped for more joint teams from South Korea and North Korea at the 2020 Games. A unified Korean women’s ice hockey team took part in the 2018 Winter Games in South Korea in February.

“We are working with the Olympic Committees of the two Koreas and several international sports federations to see how we can best implement that,” Bach told delegates.

Below is the announcement by the IOC:

It’s Time For Africa – See You In Senegal

The fourth edition of the summer youth olympic games 2022 (yog) will be held in dakar, senegal. The decision was unanimously taken today by a show of hands from the full international olympic committee (ioc) membership during the ioc session in buenos aires. This is the first time the youth olympic games will be organised in africa.

Four African countries* were in the running and, after thorough analysis, the Evaluation Commission and the Executive Board determined that Dakar, Senegal, presented the best value proposition and the greatest opportunities at this moment in time.

Dakar 2022 presented a visionary, ambitious and technically sound YOG project that addresses the long-term aims of the country.

Senegal has a large youth population and views the YOG as a catalyst for engaging young people and developing the country’s sport and youth policy.

Significant investments are already being made toward youth and sport as part of the country’s overarching framework “Plan Sénégal émergent”, which sets out the President’s vision to 2035.

IOC President Thomas Bach said: “Africa is united behind Senegal to host the Youth Olympic Games 2022. With a young population and a passion for sport, it is time for Africa, it is time for Senegal.”

The competitions and activities will be held across three cities, showing the many facets of Senegal: the historic capital of Dakar; the new city of Diamniadio; and the natural beauty of Saly on the coast.

The President of Senegal, Macky Sall, who made the journey to Buenos Aires for the historic IOC decision said: “Senegal and its young people are proud of the honour you have bestowed upon us, in entrusting the organisation of the Youth Olympic Games 2022 to our country.

“In fact, it is the whole of Africa, the birthplace of humankind through its history and the youngest continent through its demographics, which will welcome the young athletes of the world in 2022.”

Considering the unifying power of the Games, the IOC is pleased to count on the four parties, who have all endorsed the decision of the IOC and pledged full support to the selected host.

The decision took place during the 3rd edition of the Youth Olympic Games, currently taking place in Buenos Aires from 6 to 18 October.

* Botswana, Nigeria, Senegal and Tunisia

The International Olympic Committee is a not-for-profit independent international organisation made up of volunteers, which is committed to building a better world through sport. It redistributes more than 90 per cent of its income to the wider sporting movement, which means that every day the equivalent of 3.4 million US dollars goes to help athletes and sports organisations at all levels around the world.